My parents came to relationship with Jesus just a few years before I was born. Neither had a spiritual background and there wasn’t much family support. They did the best they could in raising my sisters and me, but in the early days, our “Christian Life” became more about the rules than it was about an intimate relationship with Jesus. This fact determined what I held to be sacred in my life.
One of those confusions was related to how I viewed my relationship to the Church. My parents were proud of the fact that I was in church the first Sunday after I was born and didn’t miss many Sunday’s growing up. We went to everything the Church offered. Not only were we at every service every week, we were always the first ones to arrive. We spent a lot of time sitting in the parking lot waiting for someone to open the building.
I was taught that the building was sacred. You didn’t run in “God’s House”. You didn’t chew gum or talk to loudly. You sat still and were respectful. Any violation of these rules meant a trip to the basement with Dad. This was before children were given time-outs. We were given a good whooping. Needless to say, these infractions were very rare. We learned quickly how to act in church.
Mom and Dad did the best they could, and they matured beyond this point as their spiritual journey progressed. However, my understanding of the sacredness of the Church began with a focus on the institution or structure of what we did, rather than the wonder and awe of the Church form God’s perspective.
The Church is God’s family, the Body of Christ. It is those people who share a relationship with Jesus and each other through the bond of grace. It is a faith community. It is empowered by God himself through the presence of his Holy Spirit in the lives of those who make up the Church. It is sacred!
In Hebrews 10:24-25, we have this encouragement. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Although the Church are those who follow Christ and exists wherever and whenever believers are, God has ordained and even commanded that the Church to gather. This gathering on Sunday is not for our entertainment or a responsibility to be fulfilled. The purpose of the Church meeting together is so we can help each other become more like Christ. The Church gathered is preparation for us to be the Church to those we interact with throughout our week. The Church is the place we depend on to empower us to use our gifts and abilities to build the Kingdom of God.
Is the Church sacred in your life? Is it a non-negotiable priority? Do you have a deep desire to be with your “family” to push them and encourage them? Are you excited to have others pour into your life? This is the Church and it is God’s gift to us. It needs to be sacred.